


Making new friends.

by Striderella



Series: Heart Mountain Forest. [2]
Category: Heart Mountain Forest
Genre: Demons, Fantasy, Love, Magic, Multi, Muses, Nymphs - Freeform, Original Fiction, Witches, faes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-27 09:26:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15682605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Striderella/pseuds/Striderella
Summary: My original work about six beings who live near a magical mountain that inspires love and passion within anyone near it.Kai has his work cut out for him as he meets the magical beings he is sworn to protect while Xandria becomes more acquainted with Kai's ex-boyfriend, a demon.





	1. Chapter 1

Once upon a time there lived a beautiful princess. Her name was Oceania Waterfall.

She was the leader of her cast of nymphs who resided in the oceans. Her responsibility was heavy. Not only did she have to care for her people but she also had a great responsibility to them and the Gods they followed to set the impossibly high standards put upon her by both her people and the ruler of all nymphs, Queen Cygnia Nightingale of the sky. Oceania’s people were highly religious, believing in the purity of blood lines and that every nymph was born with a purpose based on their cast. The sky cast were the ultimate ruling cast and were considered the politicians and elite class. Forest cast nymphs were considered the artistic class creating music, crafts, and literature. Ice cast nymphs were the intelligence class who worked hard and invented, and finally the desert cast nymphs were warriors, acting as the army for all nymphs. Her cast was second only to the sky nymphs and were considered the religious class - keeping law and order in matters the sky nymphs did not wish to concern themselves with or be seen dealing with While the sky nymphs were lavished with luxury, the sea nymphs renounced such treasure in order to keep themselves pure and focused on their goal of spreading their mission of bloodline purity in order to keep the great cosmic balance. The legends said that if the balance was ever lost, all nymph magic would vanish forever.

Because of this need for blood purity, any deviation from perfection was rejected. The deformed, the disabled, and the half-casts were banished to rivers and lakes, forbidden from the simple yet beautiful palaces of the oceans. Relationships outside of the sea cast were forbidden and punishable by death. But the Princess felt great doubt over these beliefs. She didn’t understand why exactly sky nymphs were the higher power and had a say over their lives. She also saw that her neighbouring cast, the forest nymphs didn’t pay much attention to the old cast system and yet their magic was still around. She was unable to voice her concerns though for fear that her people would rebel and go to war, opening the gates for further intervention by the sky nymphs.

She kept a close secret friendship with the forest nymph ruler, another princess named Honeysuckle Foxglove - a mischievous woman with a good heart and childlike joy. With Honeysuckle’s help, whenever she could, which was rare, she would escape court life and visit the land. Forest nymphs didn’t care much for the ways of the higher casts nor for the almost militant lives of ice and desert. They preferred to love, play, and create. She adored the forests, secretly envying the freedom enjoyed by her woodland dwelling counterparts who ignored such things as bloodlines and worship in favour of compassion and fun. She would dream of life as a forest nymph, spending her days painting and listening to the wind through the trees, living in one of the adorable round treehouses near so many others instead of a lonely bare tower at the bottom of the ocean.

After reading about a magical mountain that inspired love, lust, and passion in those living around it, she decided it would be her next visit. This beautiful mountain bore a name based on the heart shaped patch of snow that formed upon it. It was near a village full of people who seemed so happy and full of energy with no concerns or hang ups about who they loved. Surrounding both was her favourite forest yet. The leaves seemed greener. The bird song was the most beautiful she had ever heard. The flowers were so sweet smelling, they lingered on her clothes for hours. It was almost as if all the love and passion made everything grow. She wondered what inspired such a lush forest. That was when she met the muse, Zolitaire.

He was a powerful being. Young and handsome with thick red hair and freckled skin, his laugh made her knees weak. He was everything she wanted to be - free, fun loving, and a little crazy. A simple song on his lute would make the flowers grow in a blink of an eye. He fell out of a tree and nearly landed on her but rather than seem embarrassed, he merely bowed and kissed her hand as if he meant to nearly flatten her. He was taken by the beautiful princess straight away. Her long flowing blue hair and lilac eyes pierced his heart as did her beautiful voice. The power of the mountain made the two fall in love instantly. They knew they were meant for each other.

But sadly their love was forbidden in the eyes of her people. They tried to fight it but soon realised they couldn’t live without each other. They had to meet in secret every few months. They would hide out for as long as they could in his home in the trees. They would barely leave his bed until she was forced to return home. They didn’t know how long it could go on but they were about to find out. Their only allies were the forest princess who offered them a place to stay, the local woodsman, Dougie Jameson who had taken pity on the pair and helped Oceania sneak off to meet her lover despite it breaking Woodsman rules to interfere in such matters, and Zolitaire’s oldest friend, a traveling witch doctor named La Fey whose powerful magic hid them from prying eyes. 

Despite being careful, after five years, the princess found herself with child. With no official mate, rumours filled the court that she had been having affairs with humans, demons, elves, and even lower class nymphs. Her younger sister, Aquaria who had always wanted the throne, saw her opportunity and seized power. Oceania was arrested but not before sending out a message to the Queen who gave her a choice other than death. She could kill her unborn halfling child and never leave the ocean again or she could give up the throne willingly to her sister and leave the ocean forever. Oceania knew the right choice. She gave up her title and all claims, leaving the ocean to live in the forest and marry the man she loved as a commoner and outcast for the rest of her days. Not even a lake or pond to call her own. But this did not matter because for the first time in her life, the princess was free to lead the life of her choosing.

There were some punishments in store for their allies. The Queen would have demanded that Honeysuckle step down but there was no official heir to take over so instead she banned the princess from her own seat on the higher council. Honeysuckle didn’t care. In fact, she was relieved not to attend any more boring meetings. The Order of Woodmen investigated Dougie Jameson for breaking their rules but due to the overwhelming support from the residents of the village, forest, and the mountain, he was only given a warning. His son however was furious with him for yet again putting magical folk first before the safety of his family but then Dougie Jr always had a bee in his bonnet about something. La Fey however received the worst punishment. When returning home from the local tavern, he was attacked by an assassin who plucked out his eye. La Fey however managed to fight off his attacker and return home to his wife and children. Jaen, his elven wife made him a new eye from a ruby which amused his eldest daughter, Penelope no end.

“Now I am the apple of your ruby” she would joke which always made him laugh. She always knew how to make anyone feel better. La Fey never did find out the identity of his attacker. 

During their honeymoon, the muse and the nymph welcomed a beautiful baby girl who they named Xandria. She would have a hard life being a halfling but something about her was special and unique. The couple didn’t know it but the magic of the mountain had great plans for this child born from forbidden love.


	2. Chapter 2

Xandria wandered through the village of Heart with her arms laden with groceries. The streets were busier than usual and she had to be careful not to drop everything which was hard given that she was a natural klutz.

“Need a hand?” a voice piped up. She managed to maneuver the bags just enough to make out a cloud of curly gingery hair. Jack steadied her as a very rude dwarf shoved her out of the way.

“WATCH IT MUSHROOM BREATHE!” she hissed at the small and grumpy oaf, “Thanks Jack. I don’t think my nerves can take this place. Why is it so crazy today?”

“Beats me” said Jack eagerly taking a couple of the bags, “Miss La Fey sent me to get a phoenix feather and I had to wait nearly an hour just to get in the door of the magic shop. Here let me take another…”

Dear sweet Jack. It had been nearly a year since he started studying under Xandria’s oldest friend. It was quite common for elves to go into magical arts but not many became masters of the craft. Jack was determined to make it as a wizard. He was certainly a hard worker and spent a lot of time studying but it was his confidence that was his biggest let down. Xandria didn’t know much about the young elf except for what Penelope had passed on to her - that he was shy, nerdy, and blushed at anything sexual which must be hard for him because not only was he working for a woman whose sexual aggressiveness was legendary but he lived near a mountain that radiated pure love and sexual magic upon the citizens.

The two finally managed to fight through the crowds and make it to a side street that would lead them towards the forest.

“I wanted to ask you something.” said Xandria. “About that night the new woodsman was attacked”. Xandria was referring to the night that Kai Jameson saved her from the poachers and as a result, nearly died had it not been for the magical Penelope and her speedy and heroic lover Holly. “When we were attacked, a demon saved us. I never saw him before but he seemed to know Kai. It was the guy who came for you at the cabin. Who is he?”

“Who? Damon?” asked Jack looking at Xandria with a puzzled expression, “You mean you don’t know who Damon Dante is? Wow, and they say I don’t get out enough.” This surprised Xandria.

“Did I hear you right when you said he was your boyfriend?” she asked.

“Yes” sighed Jack with a strain of annoyance that took Xandria by surprise, “And I know what you are going to ask now. You are going to ask me if he feeds on my innocence, right? Well he doesn’t. He is actually really respectful and sweet like that. You know…you would really like him if you got to know him.” Xandria wasn’t so sure about this statement. The man clad in black leather she met on that disturbing night was anything other than sweet. He was downright obnoxious. Also the idea that a demon could be sweet was not something she was used to. Even as a child, she was warned to stay away from demons.

Every demon has a specific sin they bring out in people so they can harvest positive energy from them which they take back under the earth in order to power everything from magic spells to weapons and heat. Demons rely on this energy source for day to day living so have to harvest it with whatever talents they are born with. Greed demons for example tempt you with gold and gems. As soon as you take their gifts and desire more of them, they feed on your kindness. Anger demons will push your buttons and inflict hurt until you explode into a fit of rage giving them access to your empathy. Pride demons take confidence by bringing you down on all that you achieve and envy demons can create disharmony between the closest of neighbors to harvest generosity but the worst by far, to a nymph at least, is a lust demon. Lust demons seduce their victims and feed at the height of ecstasy on innocence. If enough innocence is removed from a person, they lose the ability to love unconditionally, be kind or happy, and end up dying from the overwhelming hate that builds up inside of them. You can imagine that in a place like Heart, with the effect the mountain has over the residents, lust demons have their pick and it just so happened that a hell mouth was located on the mountain itself.

“Sorry” said Jack, suddenly realising how rude he had just been, “I didn’t mean to say it like that. It’s just I always get asked that and people assume I am some sort of sucker who thinks a lust demon is his boyfriend. But that isn’t the case. I know him and he knows me more than anyone ever has. I don’t care if he is a demon, an elf, a human, whatever. I can love who I love. ”

“It’s okay” said Xandria, “I wouldn’t dare to judge. If everyone loved who they were supposed to, I certainly wouldn’t be here! I was just wondering who he was because something stranger happened that night that I can’t explain.”

“Oh?” Jack raised an eyebrow but it was obscured by a large loaf of bread sticking out of the bag.

“When Holly carried Kai away, I ran to the shack. It would have taken a long time but all of a sudden, this black smoke surrounded me and I was transported right where I needed to be. I saw the demon disappear in the same smoke.”

“Well, it sound like he gave you a lift!” Jack laughed “See? I told you he isn’t that bad.”. Xandria felt very awkward about this, like she was somehow coming across as judgemental. She didn’t mean to be. She was just so curious about the whole thing. It was all so confusing. Just a few days ago she didn’t think the mountain had any affect on her and then she meets this human. This incredible human with green eyes and a strength that made her feel safe and within moments she fell for him. Now there was a chance he didn’t feel the same way given his possible history with another man. What was going on? Who was this demon?

“I’m sorry again,” said Xandria, “I have just never met a demon before.”

“Well Damon isn’t like most demons.” Jack grinned. Xandria want to ask more but she felt like Jack was not the sort of elf who would give up the information she wanted freely, nor could he be unbiased concerning his love for his boyfriend. They had already arrived at Xandria’s destination. A very old and rusty truck was waiting as a handful of Forest Nymphs loaded their own groceries and goods inside, ready to all be taken back the woods where they dwelled. With their autumnal gold and mossy tones in their hair and eyes, Xandria’s ocean blue hair made her stand out in the crowd. A red haired young nymph waved them over.

“Here she is!” the nymph cried out as Jack loaded Xandria’s items in the back, “You are late again! Maple is going to drive back without you one day, you know.”

“Sorry Chestnut, it is a nightmare in Heart today.” Xandria muttered awkwardly before thanking Jack and waving him on his way. As the nymphs all piled into the back into any spot not taken up, Xandria felt her curiosity about the strange demon and his relationship to Kai would never be answered unless she was willing to ask the woodsman himself.


	3. Chapter 3

Kai had his work cut out for him today. As the new Woodsman, it was his job to meet and get to know the local magical beings he would be protecting. This was always one of the hardest tasks. Some magic folk were okay with the woodsmen and welcomed them as protectors and members of the community but there were those who distrusted them. “Jumped up human park rangers who had taken it upon themselves to guard humanity from evil magic and judge conflict matters between magic folk and their own kind” - that's how many viewed them. But the UN and the Magic council of the Americas had both agreed to the Woodsmen as law keepers in the USA and Canada as part of the peace agreement and he was here to do a job and to protect his Grandfather's legacy.

His first port of call was to the Muses. They lived in a settlement of caves near the forest. Muses were humanoid and mostly women but males existed also who had been born with magic gifts. They were normally tasked with creationism and inspiration. By creating, working, or even thinking, they not only inspired mankind but also nature. Three muses lived in this part of the world. The Muse of the forest helped the plants and trees grow by playing the most beautiful music . The Muse of the seasons controlled the weather depending on the mood of whatever poetry she chose to work on, and the Muse of the mountain created gems and minerals by crafting models in her workshop. These three resided in the largest cave with was decorated with jewels and markings. 

The Muse of Seasons was Zephyrine, a young girl barely out of school and wearing a simple white dress which complimented her hair of the same colour was meant to be sweet and kind in nature and the wisest. She carried with her an owl called “Zoot” who would often watch over her as she wrote the weather for the day. As it was Autumn, she mostly wrote haikus that upon the ink hitting parchment, turned skies grey and blew the leaves from the trees. Zircon the Mountain Muse was very old and more haggard, clad entirety in gold armour and didn't like company on her better days. She smoked a pipe as she wandered around her workshop deep underground. Her hands were covered in burns and scars that she didn’t even feel being created. With the casting of old wood, dead animals, and various elements to the fire, she would reach in where anyone else would burn terribly and pull out stones of rubies and diamonds which she would throw at the walls, making them vanish into the Earth. Zolitaire was the one Kai was most interested to meet, having read his file. He was said to be a character. A trickster whose greatest achievement in life was slacking off. Flecks of grey adorned his beard and temples. A lute often sat across his back held with a strap made from ivy. His middle aged belly hairy and on display poked above a pair of very tattered shorts. He wasn't much for ceremony but was forgiven easily by the others due to being the most powerful. It was very hard for anyone who met him not to simply adore him. He had only had the role for three years but had already proved popular with all the Muses. He appeared middle aged in years but kept a childlike sparkle about him. With a simple tune, the very trees themselves would grow. An easy task indeed for someone so grand.

Kai was escorted in by a helpful centaur servant. He found the three muses sat around a fire. Upon being presented to the Muses, Zircon grumbled something about how much smaller humans were getting while Zephyrine smiled a sympathetic grimace as if to convey that she understood that his job was going to be hard. But the Muse of the Forest scared the crap out of him as he squealed with glee. Jumping from his seat, he stormed over to Kai and picked him up the air.

"LOOK AT YOU! AREN'T YOU JUST PRECIOUS!" he grinned. This guy was huge and picked Kai up without any trouble. Wind barked in a panic and Zolitaire dropped Kai to the ground in an undignified pile roaring with laughter. He patted Wind on the head.

"IT COMES WITH ACCESSORIES!" Zolitaire clapped. "CAN WE KEEP THEM?! PLEASE?! I PROMISE THIS IS NOT LIKE THE HAMSTER INCIDENT." Zephyrine sighed frustrated.

"Don't tease the new Woodsman, Zee, you know he is going to have a hard enough time without you trying to adopt him". It was an interesting start but at least Kai knew they were friendly.

Kai's second trip that day was to the Wood Nymphs to meet their ruler, the Princess Honeysuckle Foxglove. It would be the first time he had ever met a nymph ruler as she was the only one residing in this part of the world. The Nymphs here looked very different to the one he met on his first day out in the woods. These were full blooded wood nymphs with beautiful hair and eyes the same colours as the leaves of the trees where they built their impressive homes. These weren't your average treehouses for little kids to hide away in. These were beautiful squished globes of rich oak so impressive that you couldn't make out any joins. It was as if the entire house was carved from one tree, dripping down like horse chestnuts.

The Nymphs were more than friendly. Upon seeing a good looking guy walk into their little collective, the men and women ran straight out of their homes. Wood nymphs unlike others had no quarks whatsoever about mating outside of their species. In fact, it was practically a massive turn on. They fell upon him, squeezing his arms, inviting him into their homes, offering wine and fruit. Poor Kai was overwhelmed. Even poor Wind couldn’t save him. It didn't help that they had camouflage powers and kept hiding in order to jump out and surprise him  
Eventually he had to be rescued by royal guards and taken to see Princess Honeysuckle. She was a middle aged nymph but youthful looking with such long red hair, it trailed behind her and gold eyes. Her fingers were stained with paint all of the time and she had very little time for formality preferring to ignore any royal protocol. She was a keen artist and what was meant to be a passing but formal visit ended up as a two hour stay as Kai was forced to pose heroically for her latest painting. He was too kind to refuse but found himself unable to discuss anything other than art.

"Please don't move dearie, I am in the moment". She grumbled as Kai struggles to keep his arm aloft in the correct pose. Wind merely looked on amused, waiting for her master. It was similar everywhere else he went. No one was in the mood here to behave officially or listen to any Woodsmen spiel. The Elves were extremely kind and fed him so much food, he could hardly walk. There were all incredible cooks making delicious pastries and pies. Kai knew he would have to eat a lot of kale to make this up. Then the Faes greeted him warming, their children insisted on many games of hide and seek which was really difficult given they were only a couple of inches tall. The Witches were all very polite but chatty with long lists of grievances. Kai could do nothing but stand there nodding and smiling while the witches talked his ears off in between various cups of tea and cream cakes.It had all gone so well. But Kai knew it wasn't over. There was one last place to visit. The Hell mouth. He would have to face the Demons.


End file.
